Tag: Government

Public Sector Round-Up 06.11.20

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UK tender publishing update

999

725

274

Total UK NoticesLow-Value NoticesOJEU Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 30.10.20 & 05.11.20

In October 5152 notices were published across the UK. 3529 of these were low-value notices – which is great news for smaller businesses or those with limited experience of working in the public sector. Lower value notices tend to have less competition and fewer restrictions, making your entry to the market much easier.

If you are interested in finding out what the market looks like for your industry, get in touch and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free overview for your business. Alternatively, start looking for opportunities with our tender search tool on www.tendersdirect.co.uk

In the news this week

New Epsom and St Helier hospital in Sutton given green light
A new state-of-the-art hospital has been announced as part of the government’s £3.7 billion commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 – for which another eight new schemes have been invited to bid. To discover construction, healthcare and other public sector opportunities, use our tender category search.

£228m Mottram bypass goes out to consultation
The public is being given the chance to influence plans for a new £228 million bypass to between Manchester and Sheffield. There will be a 6 week public consultation for the new two-mile bypass, which will run from the roundabout at the end of the M67 (junction 4) to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.
Over the next 5 years, Highways England will be delivering £14 billion of major road projects, increasing the quality, capacity and safety of England’s motorways and major A roads – we can alert you to any projects relevant to your business, find out more here.

£2bn Technology Services 3 framework
This framework agreement will provide a range of local, regional and national services, and is divided into 5 lots: Technology Strategy and Service Design (£320m), Transition and Transformation (£260), Operational Services (£940m), Major Services Transformation Programmes (£580m) & Service Integration and Management (£100m).
For full details, view the notice here.

Top OJEU contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Margate: Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
Short description: The supply and installation of a floating vessel in the form of a pontoon or barge at the Port of Ramsgate, to form a commercial aggregate berth which will be sited within the Port estate.
Published By: Thanet District Council
Date Published: 30 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £1,299,986.95
Number of tenders received: 2 (Of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: BAM Nuttall Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Leyland: Construction work
Short description: Development of 55 residential units at land off Westfield Road, Catterall, Preston, Lancashire. 
Published By: Progress Housing Association Ltd
Date Published: 30 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £8,413,000.00
Number of tenders received: 1 (Of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: Breck Developments Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Manchester: Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment
Short description: The supply and delivery of a variety of crime reduction products, to be used by police forces as a cost effective way of reducing the risk of vulnerable people becoming victims of crime.
Published By: Greater Manchester Combined Authority — Greater Manchester Police
Date Published: 03 November 2020
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £1,700,000.00
Number of tenders received: (Of which were SMEs: 2)
Contractors: JNE Security Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE


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Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.
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Public Sector Round-Up 23.10.20

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In the news this week: £42 million to tackle congestion on the A630, and a £320 million Commonwealth Games transport plan to be developed.
Our top OJEU notices feature two awards in Northern Ireland, both received only 1 tender each, and awarded the work to SMEs. The other award of the week is a contract in Newport for significant sprinkler system installations.
The number of notices published this week was in line with the weekly average seen in 2019, showing that the public sector continues to be a great source of new business opportunities.

UK tender publishing update

962

663

299

Total UK NoticesLow-Value NoticesOJEU Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 16.10.20 & 22.10.20

The weekly average number of notices published in 2019 was 966. When you look at this week’s numbers and consider the current environment, it’s clear the public sector continues to be a reliable source of new business opportunities.
As of 23.10.20, there are over 4199 live notices across all industries on Tender Direct.
If you would like more information about the types of opportunities available for your business, we would be happy to provide you with a free Market Overview.

In the news this week

2022 Commonwealth Games: Games Transport Plan
In preparation for the 2022 Commonwealth games, West Midlands Combined Authority are preparing a Transport Plan which will utilise over £320m of Transforming Cities Fund funding. The plan will address transportation of spectators, athletes and the Games Family, while at the same time ensuring any disruption to transport users is kept to a minimum.

£42 million to tackle congestion on the A630
Roads Minister Baroness Vere has given the go-ahead to a multi-million pound upgrade to the A630, which will cut congestion and boost capacity along the busy route into Sheffield. Work is scheduled to start in the coming weeks and expected to be finished by summer 2022.
To view all live construction opportunities in the UK, visit our tender categories page.


Our bid consultants can review your bids before submission, offer support when you are short of time, or even take a hands-on role and manage a bid from start to finish. For more information about our range consultancy of services, please visit our website.

Top OJEU contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Newtownabbey: Cremators
Short description: The design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, together with the associated response and preventive maintenance of the cremator, mercury abatement plant and ancillary items for a period of 10 years.
Published By: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Date Published: 20 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £893,309.00
Number of tenders received: 1 (of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: Facultatieve Technologies Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Londonderry: Traffic monitoring services
Short description: Provision of traffic management services to the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
Published by: Western Health and Social Care Trust
Date Published: 19 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £305,412.90
Number of tenders received: 1 (of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: CAR Park Services Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Newport: Sprinkler systems installation work
Short description: Design and installation of automated fire suppression systems, fire alarms and associated works to general needs housing schemes owned and maintained by Newport City Homes.
Published By: Newport City Homes
Date Published: 21 October 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £12,471,915.50
Number of tenders received: 3
Contractors: Harmony Fire | Sureserve Fire and Electrical Ltd (formerly Allied Protection) |
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.
Visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk to find out more.

Public Sector Round-Up 18.09.20

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In the news this week: £800m tender for Covid-19 home test kits, £1bn NHS PC and print framework opened and £30m funding injection to unlock land for new homes.
Our top OJEU notices for the week feature a £2bn modular homes construction contract in Birmingham, £23.5m contract for road repair and maintenance, and a £4m award for a range of marketing services.
This week we saw 938 notices published across the UK, which is 12% more than last week – meaning plenty more opportunities for you to win new business.

UK tenders update

938

646

292

Total UK NoticesLow-Value NoticesOJEU Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 11.09.20 & 18.09.20

In the news this week

Coronavirus: £800m bid to boost home testing as Lighthouse Laboratories falter
A contract valued at £785 The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to find a supplier who can handle the delivery of 200,000 home-testing kits a day. To view the notice on Tenders Direct for free, click here.

NHS opens bidding on £1bn PC and print framework
Bidding for a four-year framework to supply the NHS with desktop computers, laptops, mobile devices, specialist hardware, printers and scanners. The total contract has an estimated value of £1bn and is split across 6 lots.

£30m funding injection to unlock land for new homes
The government has announced an additional £30m worth of funding to help kick-start the building of new homes. The funding will see £20m allocated to the Land Release Fund and £10m to the One Public Estate programme to help release surplus land for housing.


How much time do you spend researching, developing and implementing your bid strategy?
Too often, companies don’t focus on this or mistake pricing discussions for a comprehensive strategy. A well-considered, complete strategy embedded throughout a proposal increases two things; your chances of success and the expected value from winning the business.
Book your place on our lunchtime webinar, and learn how to create winning strategies.
Wednesday, 30 September 2020 from 13:00-13:45 – register here.

Top OJEU contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-Birmingham: Construction work
Short description: CHIC is procuring three contracts for the manufacture, supply and erection of new modular (volumetric) Homes with options for all site works. 
Published By: Central Housing Investment Consortium (‘CHIC’)
Date Published: 11 September 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £2,045,000,000.00
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 2 (of which were SMEs: 2)
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 4 (of which were SMEs: 4)
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 1 (of which were SMEs: 1)
Contractors: Elements Europe Ltd | Module-AR Ltd | Impact Modular ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Leeds: Repair, maintenance and associated services related to roads and other equipment
Short description: Contract to undertake full reinstatement activities associated with NGNs customer and operations emergency locate and repair programme, connection activities throughout the RIIO GD1 and GD2 price control period.
Published By: Northern Gas Networks
Date Published: 11 September 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £23,581,173.00
Number of tenders received: 7
Contractors: Utility Support Services Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Taunton: Marketing services
Short description: Marketing services.
Published by: UK Hydrographic Office
Date Published: 15 September 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £3,900,000.00
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 9
Number of tenders received, lot 2: 5
Number of tenders received, lot 3: 4
Number of tenders received, lot 4: 6
Number of tenders received, lot 5: 5
Number of tenders received, lot 6: 2
Number of tenders received, lot 7: 1
Contractors: Radley Yeldar | Blue Communications Ltd | Proctor and Stevenson | Grosvenor Film | Proctors and Stevenson | BFBS Ltd | Proseworks Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.
Visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk to find out more.

Public Sector Round-Up 11.09.20

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In the news this week: £9.3m invested in council EV schemes, £12bn boost for affordable homes, and two e-scooter trials launched in York and West Midlands.
Our top OJEU notices for the week feature a diverse £30m NHS contract for hospitality, cleaning and administration services, a £6m contract for refuse collection vehicles and a £3.6m award for telematics services.
The top Prior information Notice of the week is a £1.2bn framework for the maintenance, repair and calibration of medical equipment.

UK tenders update

840

603

237

Total UK NoticesLow-Value NoticesOJEU Notices
Tender notices published in the UK between 04.09.20 & 11.09.20

Top OJEU contract award notices

Title: United Kingdom-London: Hotel, restaurant and retail trade services
Short description: To provide a range of services including: cleaning, catering, portering, security, pest control, window cleaning, linen and laundry, clinical and domestic waste and helpdesk to Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Published By: Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Date Published: 08 September 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £30,029,484.00
Number of tenders received: 1
Contractors: ISS Mediclean Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-London: Telematics services
Short description: Contract award notice for the supply and installation of an integrated road vehicle telematics and dashboard camera system with associated services.
Published By: Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd
Date Published: 09 September 2020
Framework/DPS: Yes
Value excluding VAT: £3,683,220.00
Number of tenders received, lot 1: 5
Number of tenders received, lot 2: 2
Number of tenders received, lot 3: 2
Number of tenders received, lot 4: 3
Number of tenders received, lot 5: 6
Contractors: Masternaut Ltd | Company Watch Ltd |Condeco Ltd | Repstor Ltd | Resolve Systems LLC
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

Title: United Kingdom-Bournemouth: Refuse-collection vehicles
Short description: The contract provides for the following:• 18 tonne RCV — diesel fuelled,• 26 tonne RCV — diesel fuelled,• 26 tonne RCV — zero emission (i.e. electric (EV) or hydrogen).
Published by: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Date Published: 09 September 2020
Framework/DPS: No
Value excluding VAT: £6,028,113.00
Number of tenders received: 3
Contractors: Dennis Eagle Ltd
View full award notice with your Tenders Direct login HERE

In the news this week

Highways England invest £9.3m in council’s EV schemes
Highways England announced £9.3m this week to help businesses adopt electric vehicles. The fund allows local authorities to give businesses a 2 month trial of electric vehicles. The money for this comes from Highways England’s Designated Funds programme, which will invest around a billion pounds between 2020 and 2025 to benefit the public, economy and planet. With more and more focus on electric vehicles, funding towards similar EV projects (see e-scooter trials below) and charging points for them will become increasingly popular.

Jenrick unveils huge £12 billion boost for affordable homes
A massive investment of £12bn in affordable housing was announced this week, the largest single funding commitment to affordable housing in a decade. The programme will be delivered between 2021 to 2026, providing up to 180,000 new homes across England. Building homes is a priority for the government, and consideration has been made to ensure smaller developers access finance for new housing developments by boosting the Home Building Fund with an additional £450 million of investment.

Two major e-scooter trials launched in York and West Midlands
The public in York and the West Midlands have been given access to e-scooters this week as two e-scooter trials begin. The contract for the scooters belongs to Voi (a Swedish company) which has initially supplied a few hundred scooters, but over 10,000 are expected to be deployed during the trial – the results of which could create more opportunities in other regions for similar projects.

Stand out prior information notices

£1.2bn framework for the maintenance, repair and calibration of medical equipment
Maintenance Renewal PIN 2020 NHS Supply Chain seeks to establish a non-exclusive framework agreement for the supply to the NHS Supply chain customer base for the maintenance, repair and calibration of medical equipment. The purpose of this notice is to draw attention to a procurement that NHS Supply Chain intends to commence during the subsequent 12 months. The invitation to tender will be the subject of a separate notice and it is that notice to which potential suppliers will need to respond at the appropriate time.
View full prior information for free HERE


If you have questions, we have the answers.
Register for our lunchtime webinar and let our experts address your tendering queries. For more info and to register click here.

Tenders Direct is the UK’s most accurate tender alert service. We are the only service to guarantee that with us – you’ll never miss a tender.
Visit www.tendersdirect.co.uk to find out more.

Changes to procurement policy: Use of Procurement Cards

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The Government has been very responsive in making changes to procurement policy to help protect suppliers, their workforce and their supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their latest PPN: Use of Procurement Cards, is aimed at maintaining cashflow to suppliers, while also ensuring the public sector is able to access goods and services quickly.

What has been introduced with this PPN?
Procurement Cards are being highlighted as the preferred method for purchasing goods and services, and the key points from this document are:

  • Single transaction limit increased to £20,000 for key card holders
  • Monthly limit on procurement card spend set to £100,000
  • Monthly procurement card spend in excess of £100,000 is permissible to meet business needs.
  • Opening up of more purchase categories providing access to a greater range of goods and services.
  • Above points apply to all Central Government Departments, their Executive Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies.
  • Effective immediately as of 6 April 2020

What are procurement cards?
Procurement Cards are essentially charge cards used to purchase goods and services directly. These cards allow for instant payment and avoid the need to go through any forms of purchasing processes.

What is the benefit of using Procurement Cards?
The instant transactions are the major benefit to suppliers, receiving prompt will help them to protect their business, their employees and their supply chains.

By making Procurement cards the preferred payment method and increasing their spending limits, the Government is helping contracting authorities follow the instructions set out in previous PPN: Supplier relief due to COVID-19 – which focuses on prompt payment to support businesses and protect jobs during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Where can I view the full PPN: Use of Procurement Cards?
Click here to read the full PPN on GOV.uk


Changes to procurement policy: Supplier relief due to COVID-19

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Businesses of all sizes are feeling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and on March 20th the Cabinet Office issued reassurance to suppliers with the Procurement Policy Note: Supplier relief due to COVID-19. The document serves as guidance for public sector bodies on protecting suppliers, their workforce and supply chains, helping to ensure service continuity now and into the future. 

The policy changes have been put in place with immediate effect until 30 June 2020, and the key actions are:

  • Urgent review of contract portfolio and inform suppliers who they believe are at risk that they will continue to be paid as normal (even if service delivery is disrupted or temporarily suspended) until at least the end of June.
  • Put in place the most appropriate payment measures to support supplier cash flow; this might include a range of approaches such as forward ordering, payment in advance/prepayment, interim payments and payment on order (not receipt). 
  • If the contract involves payment by results then payment should be on the basis of previous invoices, for example the average monthly payment over the previous three months. 
  • Ensure invoices submitted by suppliers are paid immediately on receipt (reconciliation can take place in slower time) in order to maintain cash flow in the supply chain and protect jobs.  
  • To qualify, suppliers should agree to act on an open book basis and make cost data available to the contracting authority during this period. They should continue to pay employees and flow down funding to their subcontractors. 

As a supplier, the final point highlights that during this period, you will need to work collaboratively and ensure there is full transparency and operate on an ‘open book’ basis. This means you should share data if requested, to demonstrate the payments you receive have been used in the manner intended.  

The PPN provides full details of how public sector bodies are to respond to issues that will affect contract delivery and are a direct result of COVID-19.

Click here to read the full PPN on GOV.uk

High Speed 2 – A whole fleet of opportunities

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railway-673513_1920

Unless you have been living under a railway bridge for the last 10 years, you will know that in 2010 the UK Government approved the plan to create High Speed 2 (HS2): a high speed railway from London to Manchester/Leeds.

Off the rails? Most definitely on. HS2 will shrink the travel time for many commuters and travellers between the cities in the Midlands and London, and for freight by improving lead times on deliveries, that in turn improves customer satisfaction (railtechnologymagazine.com).

HS2 will be one of the most ambitious projects undertaken in this country in recent years. The venture will create tens of thousands of jobs and generate billions of pounds worth of contract opportunities for suppliers in many fields. With 2026 the deadline date for HS2, what have we seen so far in terms of opportunities?

A tender has just been published looking for a supplier to provide them with 54 new high-speed trains along with maintenance, servicing and refurbishment for an initial 12-year period.  This tender is worth £2.75 billion and has the option to be extended for the entire design life of the trains. Continue reading “High Speed 2 – A whole fleet of opportunities”

Millstream to exhibit at national NHS Confederation Conference in Liverpool

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Reform and financial challenges on the agenda

Leading e-procurement services provider Millstream is to exhibit at the NHS Confederation annual conference next week, when NHS reform and its financial challenges will be on the agenda.

The NHS Confederation is the membership body for all organisations that commission and provide NHS services and its annual conference and exhibition is being held at the ACC Liverpool from June 5-7.

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Millstream runs the mytenders and Tenders Direct websites, which allow public sector organisations to publish tenders and private sector companies to bid for new business, as well as national procurement portals for Scotland, Wales and Norway.

Like local authorities, transport operators and other public bodies, NHS trusts are bound by strict rules on procurement, which affect every purchasing decision made in the public sector.

A growing number of UK public authorities now handle tendering electronically in order to comply with the latest European Union legislation – and save both money and time – and the EU is proposing to make electronic tendering compulsory in the next few years. Continue reading “Millstream to exhibit at national NHS Confederation Conference in Liverpool”

Remedies Directive Loophole – Courts Lift Suspensions for Contract

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A colleague of mine recently sent me an article about authorities who have been permitted to proceed with contracts after being challenged by a supplier.  Now, if you remember one of my more recent posts, A Slap on The Wrist for Authorities I discussed (in short) how more authorities are being pulled up for their actions when awarding contracts  unfairly and what you could do as a supplier, I believe my exact words were, “just by making a formal complaint you can put a hiatus on the contract award”. Imagine my surprise when I read the article about three cases where the court lifted the suspension and allowed the contract to continue. Apparently the new Remedies Directive has a tiny little loophole, the same law that allows suppliers to put the brakes on a contract award allows authorities to continue the contract until something more concrete is settled in court. Now this won’t be the case for every authority, they must have to merit the circumstances, but it might put some suppliers off the idea of challenging authorities in court. The courts have suggested awarding damages may be the best way to solve the issue when dealing with brazen suppliers willing to challenge the system. The first case was for cleaning services in a college, the college fought that they needed the cleaning services to continue classes, therefore the college was permitted to carry on with the chosen supplier until an agreement was reached in court (i.e. damages). The second case was for an NHS trust which obviously needed to continue business as usual as they are dealing with people’s health, so again the NHS trust were permitted to use the chosen supplier. The third case was regarding landmine clearance in Cambodia…… need I say more?

So what does this mean for suppliers? Will any challenged authority be quoting these cases in court? If the courts feel that damages will be the best path to take when these cases arise, is this really good value for public money? I feel this loophole goes against the power the authorities were kindly given. It goes back to the same old idealism, be transparent and do it right in the first place. If any of our readers are running into trouble with Authorities, let us hear your story!

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